Madonna's lonely script

Madonna directs this two-tiered romantic drama detailing an affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson as well as the contemporary romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.

The 53-year-old star's fascination with Wallis Simpson - the subject of her new movie 'W.E.' - stemmed from her interest in English history, which she began to research when she first moved to London with former husband Guy Ritchie.

She said: ''When I moved to England after I got married, I really didn't have any friends. I didn't know anybody.

''I found myself in a strange world and I decided that I was going to find out about the history and culture. So I started studying English history and reading about the monarchy.

''When I got to Edward VIII, I was transfixed by the idea that a man would give up such a powerful position for love.

''I started reading books about Wallis Simpson, and I found a lot of them to be really negative and one-dimensional.

''When women have some kind of power, and we don't understand them, we diminish them.''

Madonna related to Wallis a lot and thinks that made her the right person to direct the film.

She told Grazia magazine: ''I think I had an insight into her character that possibly other directors wouldn't have, because I know what it's like to be reduced to a sound bite.''